Richard Alpert
by Bellatrix.Lestrange1990
Summary: A story told from the perspective of fictional Character Sophie. Sophie finds herself on the island by accident, and soon meets and forms a romantic attachment to Richard.
1. Chapter 1 - The Beginning

**Authors Note:-**

 **Please note that this is the first story that I have ever written in my life. The language and grammar probably won't therefore be up to scratch, but i've done my best. Therefore please go easy on me in any reviews you write. But please do write me a review, I would love to hear your thoughts as I have really enjoyed writing it.**

 **This story is set around 1990, when Ben had taken over as leader. I've tried to keep things authentic, although this hasn't quite worked out in some places, and I have had to bring in fictional day to day characters, as well as bring some forward in time that wouldn't have actually been around when the story was set (e.g. Juliette). I have also made some assumptions about how The Others had lived, which may not actually be true to the show.**

 **The story is about Sophie's relationship with Richard, however, to get there it took me a while to set the scene. Therefore please forgive me that he doesn't actually feature in the first 3 chapters. He will appear in the 4th though I promise, and then feature heavily form then onwards.**

Chapter 1 - The Beginning

My eyelids slowly opened, as I roused from my brief, restless sleep. It was now morning, and as the inflatable raft I was lying on silently bobbed along the ocean surface, an image came into focus on the horizon, that, for the first time in 48 hours, gave me a glimmer of hope. It was an island. I had no idea where I was. The boat I had been travelling on had met it's fate somewhere between a small island called Kiribati and Hawaii in the Pacific, but the raft had been drifting for two days, in which direction, I had no clue.

My name is Sophie. i'm nineteen years old and from England. I am slim, have wavy long brown hair and blue eyes. I grew up without a Mother, and my Father died last year after a long battle with cancer. I have no other family, and no real roots in the town that we lived in. After finishing school, with the small amount of money that my father had left me, I set out on a gap year and went travelling. I'd started out in Australia and New Zealand, before going off the beaten track and making my way around various small islands in the pacific. Few of the islands had airports, and I was travelling on a budget anyway, so most of my journeys consisted of small boats run by local operators, with very questionable health and safety standards. It was on one of these boats, whilst on my way to Hawaii that things went wrong. There were just four of us on board - the captain, and two other passengers, who's shady looking appearance and large number of holdalls made me suspect they were on a drug run, or perhaps guns or something else illicit. I kept my head down though, and did my best to avoid engaging with them, until an argument that had escalated between them became too heated to ignore. They were speaking in Spanish (I think), so couldn't follow what it was about, but eventually the captain stepped in, prompting one of the men to pull a hand gun out. Whatever the captain had said must have riled them, as large bangs started ringing in my ears, as I cowered in the corner of the boat. Next thing I was aware of was seeing the captain being flung overboard by the impact of a bullet. I can only assume that one of the bullets also caught the boat's fuel tank, as I became aware of flames engulfing the vessel. The gangster duo began pulling out the inflatable life rafts from a cupboard, and threw them into the water after activating the auto inflating mechanism. There were 3 in total. I decided my time was up on the boat and jumped overboard. Still wary of my fellow passengers, I tentatively clung to one of the rafts, but didn't presume to claim one as my own immediately in case they had other ideas. My luck was in though and they loaded one of the rafts with their bags, and both clambered onto the other. By this time the distance between mine and theirs had widened, and I climbed in, collapsing breathlessly, as the sheer horror of my situation sunk in. There was nothing I could do. The boat was ruined, together with any communication equipment that would have been on it. I had nothing, no possessions, nobody, and no idea which direction any form of land was. After staring out to sea for what felt like hours, exhausted, I fell asleep.

For two days my routine consisted of sleeping, and staring out to sea at nothing. My fellow travellers were long gone out of view. There was nothing on the horizon, there weren't even any birds in the sky. The silence was eerie, just the gentle ripple of water, and if it weren't for my situation I would have considered it relaxing. I was hungry, but more then anything thirsty. I longed for it to rain, but other than 1 brief shower there was nothing. My head throbbed, and I was weak and delirious. When I finally saw the island, I feared my mind was playing tricks on me, but as it became clearer, and closer, my spirits finally started to rise. The tide must have been pulling the raft in, as slowly I got closer, until I ran out of patience and decided to swim the rest of the way. Half and hour later, I collapsed on the sand.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Village

The island was, as far as the eye could see, deserted, and void of any civilisation. It was big - there were mountains in the distance, and beyond the beach there seemed to be a jungle-like setting, just trees and greenery. Being on dry land after bobbing around on a raft for two days took some getting used to, it felt almost nauseous. Though this probably wasn't helped by the fact that I was still dehydrated and starving. Survival mode kicked in, and my priority above anything else therefore became finding water. The jungle seemed the most likely option, and I therefore dragged myself up the beach, and ventured into the dense trees. Sometimes there seemed to be almost a clear path defining a route through the trees, and other times it felt like wilderness. I had no idea which direction to head, so just continued to hike through the vegetation, listening out for any sound of water. Eventually, after probably about two miles, I heard trickling water, and shortly after, was scooping the clearest and most welcome water down my throat that I had ever tasted.

As much as I would have loved to lay by the stream for a while, I needed to keep going, and once again started trudging through the jungle. I had no container to carry any water in so hoped another stream would at some point emerge. I then spotted my next priority - food. A banana tree stood in front of me, and despite the fruit still being green, I picked a bunch and began devouring them hungrily. At last my belly was satisfied (at least for now), and I wondered what to do. It did seem to be a path that I was now following. Whether it actually lead anywhere though I wasn't sure. As I stopped to ponder whether to go back to the beach or carry on towards the mountains, a subtle change in the air became apparent, and a strange feeling came over me. The sky darkened, and at first I thought a storm was brewing, but then I heard a whispering, which seemed to come from nowhere. I could hear a crashing sound coming from my right, and could see the trees being puled apart by…something. I could feel a presence getting closer, and I was frightened. I had just decided to make a run for it back to the beach, when a huge plume of what seemed like black smoke appeared from behind me and seemed to be travelling at speed straight in my direction. I ran faster than i've ever run before for what seemed like hours (though was probably only a few minutes in reality), with the smoke being ever present behind me. Eventually, with sheer exhaustion getting the better of me, I dived under a fallen tree trunk that lay to the side of the path and curled myself into a ball, hiding my face in my arms. I could hear whatever it was that was chasing me swirling around above me, and honestly thought that this was the end for me, until without any notice, the sound stopped, and everything was still. I lay there for a while longer, before eventually building up the courage to peek out. There was no sign of it anywhere, and I cautiously stepped back onto the track and continued along the path.

As I trudged along, I felt more terrified than I had ever been in my life, like I was on the verge of a complete breakdown, when all of a sudden, I looked up to see a man standing directly in my path. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, i'm guessing early 30s, and was wearing a loose cream coloured shirt, and brown trousers. It also couldn't escape my notice that he had bare feet - in the jungle. I stood there speechless, until eventually he spoke.

"Hello" he said casually, in a US accent.

I was silent in disbelief. Was he real? Was I hallucinating?

"Are you lost?" he followed

Eventually I managed to blurt out a short explanation for my being there, finishing with the most important question of all, "can you help me?"

The man looked at me sympathetically and nodded, placing his hand gently on my shoulder. "You need to listen very carefully, I am going to direct you to a place where there are people that will help you. There is a community that live around a mile from here. You need to keep following this path until you come to a clearing. To the right of the clearing, by a fallen tree stump, you will find a narrower track that will lead to the junction of a larger path, where you must turn right. About half an mile beyond that you will come to a large clearing with a security fence. There will be somebody there, and you must tell them that Jacob sent you".

I nodded as I gazed up the path in the direction he had pointed, trying to take it all in. I had a million questions but words seemed to fail me, and when I looked round, the man had gone, vanished in an instant. There were no signs of which direction he could have disappeared in.

With a new sense of hope, I walked at a quick pace, relaying the directions over and over in my head so that I wouldn't forget them. The short journey was exactly as described by Jacob, and in due course the clearing emerged just as he described it, with what looked like a series of pylons at regular intervals forming a line across it. I became aware of a man leaning against one of the pylons, and unnervingly a long rifle hung over his shoulder. When he saw me, he jumped up to attention and pointed the rifle straight at me. As much as I would have liked to turn round and run, instead I froze, slowly lifting my hands to the air, and waited. The man approached me and looked at me menacingly.

"Who are you? Are you alone?" he barked.

I quickly relayed the story of how I had got to the island, confirming that I was indeed alone, hoping to god he would be sympathetic to my circumstances. He pulled out a radio and spoke into it, alerting the person on the other end to what had happened. It was clear that these people didn't have many visitors, and neither did they seem to like it when when they did have one. To my horror, the voice at the other end simply instructed "If you're sure she's alone, and she's no use to us, kill her. We don't need this right now". As the man put down his radio and started to take aim at me, expressionless, with no compassion on his face at all, I was positive my time was up, until it occurred to me to utter the words that, as it turned out, would save my life.

"Jacob sent me" I blurted out.

Immediately the man paused and stared at me dumfounded. "What do you mean?" he ordered, once he had regained his composure.

"I met him in the jungle. He told me to come here and that you would help me", I cried in desperation.

The man immediately got back onto his radio and relayed this. After a long pause, the voice on the other end, albeit sounding doubtful and uncertain came back with, "Well I guess you had better bring her to me then".

I silently breathed a sigh of relief, as the man lowered his rifle and gestured me towards the fence. He quickly typed a code into a keypad in one of the pylons, and we began to hike over the clearing and into a small village, where more people came into view. The village consisted of mostly houses, with some larger buildings too. People seemed to be going about their business, and for a moment you could have been forgiven for forgetting that we were actually right in the middle of the jungle on a desert island. Eventually we came to a larger, clinical looking building to the far side of the village. He led me into the building and down a series of corridors. The rooms leading off seemed to be a mixture of offices and laboratories. We came to a halt in a small room with just a couple of benches in the middle. There were no windows, other than one wall completely made of glass, which faced out to the corridor. The man exited and locked the door behind him. I slumped on a bench and waited.


	3. Chapter 3 - Ben

A scrawny looking man, who couldn't have been much older than me entered.

"Hello Sophie, my name is Benjamin Linus, and I am in charge here" he stated. I recognised his voice as being the one at the other end of the radio "Daniel informed me of your situation, but I would like to hear it directly from you, if you please?"

Once again, I told my story, going into more detail this time about my background, how I had come to be travelling in the boat and how I had ended up being washed up onshore on the raft. I figured that honesty was probably the best policy. I was particularly careful to emphasis my meeting with Jacob this time, considering the effect it had had earlier when I had eventually mentioned it. Ben looked at me carefully and nodded, before getting up and exiting the room. At this point I noticed that quite a number of other people had congregated in the corridor and were staring in through the glass wall. I felt like some kind of science experiment. In any other situation I would have probably given them a cheeky grin and waved, but under the circumstances I kept my head down and tried to look as pathetic and vulnerable as possible to help gain their sympathy. A discussion started between Ben and the rest of them. I couldn't hear very well but did catch the gist of the conversation. They seemed to be deciding what to do with me.

"Why are we even having this conversation? We don't take in outsiders. She says Jacob sent her but she could be lying. Lets just get rid of her" said one voice.

"But how would she have known about Jacob? We can't take the risk" said another.

"I say we keep her here, locked up until we hear from Jacob" the conversation went on.

"We're not locking her up. Jacob sent her so there is clearly a reason for her being here. She can stay at the barracks until we have spoken to Jacob and found out his plans" said a new voice. The voice belonged to a dark haired man that had been standing on the sideline until now.

Benjamin Linus seemed to take the dark haired man's comments on board and nodded before turning to a man in overalls standing behind him. "Ethan, number 9 is empty. Put her in there, and explain to her where she can and can't go. Olivia, get her the essentials - clothes, food etc".

The group started to wander off in different directions, and I stayed put until eventually, the man they called Ethan came in and told me to follow him. He introduced himself and smiled, but didn't give anything away about what the hell was going on, or who they were, and I was so relieved to have not been killed I decided not to push it by asking any questions. Ethan led me out of the building and we walked through the village. People stared as we walked past them, but didn't smile or make any attempt to interact. The houses were all small and single story, either singularly detached or in twos. Eventually, in the far corner, away from the busier central area, we stopped at number 9 which was one of a block of two. Ethan took out a key, unlocked the door and handed the key to me. He showed me inside.

"Make yourself at home", he told me. "Olivia will be along shortly with some supplies. You can leave the house but don't stray too far, and certainly don't go beyond the perimeter fence. It's a security system which has to be switched off before you can step between the pylons, thats if you don't want to die". I thanked him. Despite the bazaar, surreal, and to be honest, terrifying situation I was in, I was thankful that they appeared to be willing to let me live (for now at least). With that, Ethan left, closing the door after him, and I was alone.


	4. Chapter 4 - Richard

I took in my surroundings. The front door led into a small kitchen area, which led on to a small lounge. Beyond that was a small corridor, with a small bedroom and bathroom leading off from it. In case that wasn't clear enough, the place was….small. It was actually quite pleasant though. Despite the fact that the place had clearly been there for a long time, the carpet and furnishings were clean and in good condition, as was the fitted kitchen. Again, it would have been easy to forget that this wasn't an apartment in a busy urban city.

There was a knock at the door, and on opening it, a girl stood in front of me holding a box which she passed to me, before retrieving two other boxes from behind her. She didn't say much more than "here you go", very businesslike in her mannerism. I smiled, thanked her and attempted to get some sort of interaction going,

"it's Olivia isn't it? I'm Sophie", but she clearly wanted to be gone as quickly as possible, so somewhat bemused, I carried the boxes into the lounge and closed the door.

One of the boxes contained clothes. A couple of pairs of shorts, t-shirts, a warm sweater and a pair of boots, socks and underwear. There was also clean bed linen and towels. Another contained food basics - eggs, milk, butter, cheese, flour, vegetables, cans containing various foods, tea, coffee, sugar etc. The last contained a few toiletries and cleaning products - soap, shampoo, toothpaste toothbrush, hairbrush, deodorant. What struck me was that most of it, from the bag of flour to the toothpaste, had 'Dharma' written on it, together with a small spiderweb-like symbol. Looking closer at the small print on the packaging, along with lists of ingredients and expiry dates, 'The Dharma Initiative' was clearly printed. Maybe this Dharma Initiative was who these guys were. They were clearly from the US (judging by all of the accents I had heard so far anyway), so maybe thats where we were - on a small island off the west coast. I made up my mind to stop being so cautious and ask the next person I saw exactly where we were. First thing first though, I needed to eat and drink.

I opened a can of baked beans and started to devour them cold, straight from the can. The banana's had helped satisfy my hunger but the beans were better. I then drank 3 glasses of water straight, before heading to the shower to clean 3 days worth of seawater and dirt out of my hair and skin. The shower was refreshing and most welcome, as was peeling off the ragged shorts and t-shirt that I had been wearing. I got dressed into some of the clothes Olivia had given to me (that thankfully just about fit), and decided to step outside to see if I could get any answers. I loitered on the porch just outside the door for a while. I didn't want to risk running into Benjamin or anybody else in authority that may decide to change their minds and kill me. There didn't seem to be anyone around though so I cautiously made my way towards the centre of the village. A lady, mid 30s-ish walked by and I smiled and greeted her. She merely scowled at me and kept walking though. I spotted a familiar face - Ethan, but even he didn't seem to want to talk. After seeing my disappointed face though he did sigh and stopped for a moment.

"Olivia said she bought you some supplies. Anything else you need just go and speak to David in the large building over there. He's in charge of food, clothes and equipment." he offered.

"So, who are you guys, and where are we?" I tried, feeling a little more confident than earlier. Ethan clearly didn't want to get into this conversation with me though so brushed me off with "Ben will talk to you when he's ready. Until then just sit tight and relax".

Disheartened, I walked back to the house and curled up on the sofa. I must have been exhausted as within minutes I had fallen asleep. When I woke I could see it was dark outside the windows. There was a clock on the wall that showed it was 22:00pm.

Feeling a little unsure of what to do with myself, I stepped outside my door. I almost jumped when I noticed that a man was sitting on a chair further up the porch outside the adjoining house. I immediately recognised him as being the dark haired man that had played a large part in saving my arse earlier, when Benjamin was deciding what to do with me. He had distinctive features with the the most striking dark eyes I had ever seen on a man. He was beautiful.

"Hey Sophie, my names Richard. Richard Alpert. How are you settling in? Do you have everything you need?". It was the first time anybody had been friendly towards me since I had arrived at the barracks and his warm tone lifted my spirits slightly.

"Hi" I replied, hoping that now would be my moment to get some answers. "Yes I do thank you. Though I must admit i'm very confused about everything. You were there earlier when they were deciding what to do with me weren't you?"

"Yes I was. I'm sure things will become clearer for you in time, though I can understand you being confused". He seemed to want to be nice, yet was holding back just like Ethan, but I couldn't leave it at that again - I needed answers.

"Can you at least tell me where we are? and what you're doing here?" I pushed. Richard was hesitant but smiled and looked almost resigned.

"I will give you some answers, but not right now. I have an early start tomorrow but will be back tomorrow evening. We'll talk then" I realised that I wasn't going to get anywhere tonight, so left it at that. He said goodnight and made his way inside.

After putting the clean sheets on the bed, I collapsed into a deep sleep, and didn't wake up again until morning.


	5. Chapter 5 - Answers

As I slowly opened my eyes, I recalled yesterdays happenings, and how I had ended up here, in a little house, in a little village, in a jungle, on a desert island, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean (well it couldn't be in any other Ocean surely, could it?).

I got up, showered, dressed, ate cereal (it still felt like a novelty eating food after being starved for so long), drank tea, and then wondered what to do with myself. Richard said we would talk tonight, and hopefully i would get some answers. That left the rest of today to get through. I decided to have a stroll outside and find someone to make small talk with. I didn't know how long I would be staying here so thought it would be wise to try and make some allies whenever I had the chance. In the centre of the village was a large stretch of lawn that had been neatly kept. There were benches dotted here and there so I sat myself down to do some people watching and enjoy the glorious weather. Various people of different ages strolled by, but none seemed willing to engage with me. Maybe I was trying too hard and it would come in time.

After a while I took a stroll over to the building Ethan had pointed out, where somebody called David looked after supplies. I didn't particularly need anything but thought I may as well see what there was anyway. The building was divided into a number of rooms, all of which were filled with food, camping equipment, clothing, cleaning stuff, furniture, and any other day to day items you may need. It was almost like walking into a second hand supermarket. A tall man who looked to be in his late 40s came out of one of the rooms and eyed me warily.

"Are you David?" I asked pleasantly.

"Yes, can I help you?" came his reply.

"Ethan told me to come and see you if I needed anything, so I hope you don't mind me popping in"

"Oh right, well what do you need?"

"Nothing really I have all the essentials thanks." I felt a little silly, as if I was there for no reason and I was wasting his time so thought quickly. "Unless….would you happen to have any books? It would be nice to have something to pass the time with." David obligingly led me into one of the rooms where stacks of books stood. I spent the next hour looking through them and eventually picked out three to borrow.

"Just bring them back when you're finished." David requested.

"So how long have you been on the island David" I thought I may as well keep the conversation going as long as possible. David, however, looked at me rather sheepishly and there was an awkward pause.

"Ben has told us not to talk to you." He admitted.

"Oh, well there you go then" I responded, feeling rather disappointed. This however did explain the reason for everyones aloofness.

I took the books back to my bench and spent the rest of the day reading while keeping my eye on people walking past. As I had learned to expect, nobody spoke to me, though some stared with interest, as if I was some sort of lab rat. I felt like the new girl at school. I hoped to see Richard walk past but there was no sign of him. Even Ethan would have been better than nothing. I felt in limbo. I didn't know what I was doing here, who they were, where we were, or how long i'd be here.

Eventually I went back home, ate another bowl of cereal, and sat out on the porch to wait for Richard. It was 18:00 by now, and the sun was beginning to get lower. I continued my reading to pass the time, looking at the clock every now and then. To my dismay, it got to 22:00 and there was still no sign of him, nor any signs of life from his inside his house. I gave it another half hour then went in to shower and change. It was at this point that all the happenings of the last few days must have got on top of me, as I was suddenly overcome with emotion, and collapsed, sobbing into my pillow. Today had been frustrating but I had kept going with the thought that tonight I would get some answers, but now it didn't look as if that was going to happen. It was a while before the tears finally stopped, and I was disturbed by a small knock at the door. I opened it to find Richard standing there. He looked tired and had obviously only just got back from where he had been all day. Hi smiled up at me, but then frowned when he saw my tear stained face.

"You ok?" he asked, with kindly concern,

"I'm ok, it's just, everything suddenly got on top of me, and i'm so confused and don't know which way to turn". Richard beckoned me out of the house and gestured towards the porch chairs.

"Do you like hot chocolate?" he asked, and I nodded, trying to smile and put on a brave face.

He went into his house and came back a few minutes later with two mugs and sat down next to me. I told him about my day and he listened with interest, asking what books I had been reading, as well as asking me questions about my life in general and what my interests were. After a while of small talk, I needed to progress the conversation though.

"So i'm still non the wiser about everything." I began. "I get that it's all clearly top secret here - with all the security around the place, and the fact that nobody is allowed to talk to me under Benjamin's instructions. So I expect you're not going to tell me anything either, in case you get in trouble?" I must have come across rather bitter.

"Actually I don't answer to Ben. So what do you want to know?" came Richard's response.

"But I thought Ben was in charge and that everyone answered to him". I queried.

"Ben is the leader and everyone answers to him….except me. I only answer to Jacob, as does Ben". Now it seemed I was getting somewhere.

"The same Jacob as the one that sent me here?" So it seemed I had been sent here by their boss.

"As far as i'm aware there is only one Jacob on the island" Richard replied.

"And thats why they couldn't kill me?"

"Correct" Richard confirmed.

"But why would they have killed me if it weren't for Jacob"

"We don't allow outsiders here. We're a close knit community, here to do a job, and we only bring people here with good reason. It's not a club anyone can join". Richard seemed to be opening up so I pushed him further.

"So why are you here? What job do you all do? Are you the Dharma Initiative?".

"No we're not the Dharma Initiative. They used to be based here but we took over the site when they left. This island has some unique qualities that we need to protect. We've been doing so for many years, and others did before us. Many people try to come to the island to manipulate the islands qualities for their own benefit, and it's our job to keep them away". Richard was being so patient with me answering all of my questions. I still had much I needed to know but I didn't want to push him too hard. One last question was really bugging me though, and I had to ask it.

"So what about me? Where do I fit into all of this? What will happen to me?"

"In all honesty, I don't know, and neither does Ben. I need to talk to Jacob and will follow whatever instructions he gives with regards to you. He lives on another part of the island, and i'm going to head up there tomorrow." Richard confirmed.

"But what if he tells you to kill me?" The unnerving thought suddenly occurred to me.

"If he wanted you dead why would he have bought you here?" Was Richards only reassurance. Though somehow, it was reassuring. I had only met him briefly, but there was something about Richard. Something that drew me in, and I felt myself trusting him. It was clear that he'd had enough of answering my questions and wanted to get himself to bed, so I didn't protest when he wrapped up the conversation.

"Can we talk again tomorrow?" I asked.

"I will be gone by the morning but I'll be back in a few days. I don't live here full time, and spend most of my time over on other parts of the island. Just try and get through the next few days and we'll talk again when i'm back." And with that, Richard disappeared into the the adjoining house.

Feeling slightly more informed and more hopeful about things (though only slightly), I went to bed, and slept late into the next morning.


	6. Chapter 6 - In Limbo

The next few days dragged by. At first I was still the alien, still the lab rat, the new girl at school that sat alone while others talked between themselves. I went for strolls around the barracks and began to see the same faces go by. What they did each day I wasn't sure. Some clearly had specific roles within the barracks, and others seemed to come and go throughout the day. After a few days though I noticed that a couple of them would meet my eye contact and even smile slightly, though they were clearly still suspicious of me. They probably thought I had come as a spy and was one of the people that wanted to hurt their island. I bumped into Ben a couple of times and he would eye me cautiously. He was polite but gave nothing away about what was in store for me. I had clearly disrupted his little community and it's routine and he didn't like it. In return I didn't like him much either. It was hardly my fault that I was there, I had done nothing wrong and had been completely honest with him. So why he had turned everyone there against me I had no idea.

I pondered over my future and could think of 3 scenarios. 1) They would kill me. Though I got the impression from Richard that this was unlikely. 2) They would keep me there forever (this horrified me nearly as much as being killed). 3) They would let me go. But if they went with the third, would that mean they would simply send me off on my way and leave me to fend for myself, or would they help me get home? And where was home? Would I go back to England? I wasn't sure there was much for me to go back there to. I had friends but nobody that I went back with a long way. Me and my Dad had moved around a lot with his work so friends had come and go throughout my life. I was half way through my gap year but hadn't really thought about what I would do afterwards. I had been rather hopeful that I would come across somewhere that I really liked, where I would get a job and stay for a while. But that hadn't happened yet.

I killed time by reading. I would take two or three books at a time and then go and replace them. I had always loved reading but never had much time to do it. David actually had a very good collection and there were plenty of very well known titles as well as some more obscure stuff. Richard had given me a few recommendations and I read all of them. Maybe I could start my own personal book club with Richard and we could sit and discuss them at depth. I wished he would hurry up and come back. I wanted to know what Jacob had said to him about me, but I also just wanted to see the friendly face of the one person there that was actually nice to me.

I started to pay more attention to cooking. I had plenty of time on my hands, and David had plenty of different stuff in the store. I wasn't exactly a whizz in the kitchen but could put a few meals together. I found a couple of recipe books to get some ideas. From what I could gather, there was a small farm on another part of the island, run by someone called Mikhail. I don't think it was his main function on the island, but in his spare time he grew vegetables and bred chickens. There was therefore a good supply of veg, chicken, eggs and milk. There was also fish and seafood that were caught daily, and endless fruit from the jungle. Everything else came out of the Dharma packets and tins. Bread had to be made from scratch, but tasted glorious when freshly baked. I decided I would bake a fresh loaf for Richard as soon as he got back.


	7. Chapter 7 - Morning Sun

**So pleased to see that people are reading my story. Please do leave me a review if you get a minute as I would love to know what you think.**

On the morning of the fifth day since Richard left (yes I was counting), I lazily sat out on the porch, enjoying my morning cup of tea in the sun, when he appeared. I saw him from a distance, strolling casually towards the house, dressed in his usual shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a bag slung over his shoulder. I had been so lonely that part of me wanted to run over and throw my arms round him, though I didn't want to scare him off so stopped myself. I gave him a big smile though as he reached the porch. He smiled back at me.

"You look happier." He remarked.

"Well the sun is out". Was all I could feebly come back with.

I was dying to ask him what had come out of his meeting with Jacob but I didn't want to jump on him straight away.

"How was your trip?" Maybe I could get it out of him in a roundabout way.

"Tiring" was his short reply.

He disappeared into his house much to my dismay, but then reappeared after 20 minutes, fresh out the shower, dressed more casually than I had seen him before in lounge pants and a t-shirt, drinking a glass of fresh juice.

"Want one?" He offered.

"Sure!" I smiled back.

He went and fetched a second glass for me and sat down. We made small talk for a while. I told him about all the books i'd read and he seemed very impressed. I went and got some banana bread that I had made the day before and he devoured it. I tried not to throw too many questions about the island at him, I didn't want him to think I was just using to him to gain information, but he seemed in quite an open mood and I learned various things. There were various old Dharma Stations dotted around the island which his people used as bases, though the barracks were the main living quarters. There was a second, smaller island nearby where one of the stations was. The people here came from various backgrounds, but were all likeminded and all committed to protecting the island from outsiders. They had arrived at different times by submarine, but once here did not leave. Going back to the "outside world" wasn't an option under normal circumstances, so they were only bought here if it was certain that they would want to stay. My heart sank a little at hearing this. If they were reluctant to let their own people leave then why would they let me. There were 50 - 60 or so of them on the island, plus a small number of contacts back in the outside world (mainly US based I think) that were in on the secret. Most islanders lived at the barracks, and a small number, including Richard lived a more wild existence in a tented community that travelled to different parts of the island. Richard maintained his house at the barracks as well though, as he was frequently needed here by Ben to do whatever it was they did day to day. He wasn't clear exactly where the island was, but did say that it was deep in the pacific, and far away from the path of any passing boats. Richard was less forthcoming about his background, and gave very vague answers when I asked how he had come to be here, but did confirm that it had been many, many years. Eventually I became impatient and asked the question that had been on my mind since he had first got back.

"So what did Jacob say, about me?"

"He didn't exactly give a straight answer." Richard replied sheepishly. "I know you wanted me to come back and tell you exactly whats in store for you but I don't have much information to give you unfortunately. What I am sure of though is that he bought you here for a reason, and I have no doubt that the reason will eventually become clear. In the meantime though, I know it's not what you want to hear, but you will need to stay put. Jacob is a complicated man, but I have the utmost faith in him."

I didn't know how to feel about this. At least my life was safe in that there were no plans to do away with me. But it meant I was stuck here in this, almost prison-like scenario indefinitely. It was a beautiful desert island - an idyllic way of living almost, but I wasn't getting to do and see any of nice bits. I couldn't go to the beach or hike around the mountains.

Seeing my face drop, Richard tried his best to make me feel better.

"I'll talk to Ben, he could find you a role here, something to keep you busy, something you will enjoy. People will feel differently about you if they know you're here to stay. Theres a nice girl called Juliette that I think you could get on well with. She hasn't been here long so doesn't know many people either. She's works over on Hydra Island most of the time but often comes back here."

I softened a bit. It wasn't a hopeless situation for me. I had nothing I was missing back home, and at least I was alive, I kept reminding myself.

"I guess it would really help if I had more freedom. If I wasn't confined to the barracks. If I could go walking on the beach and hiking in the mountains. Though I guess they don't trust me not to try and escape." I put to him. He paused, clearly thinking how to let me down gently.

"That's probably going to be difficult. It's not just to do with them not trusting you. It wouldn't be safe to go wandering round the island on your own. You're unfamiliar with the place and you're inexperience. The island can be a dangerous place. It's complicated and I can't go into it now, but trust me, there is danger out there, and I wouldn't want you getting hurt." I considered his answer, then thought back to my trek through the jungle when I first came here.

"That smoke monster?" I asked. Richard looked at me surprised.

"Have you seen it?" He asked. So I told him about what had happened, and my very narrow escape. I hadn't mentioned it to anyone before now in case they thought I was stark raving mad.

"Well thats exactly the kind of thing i'm talking about, and the reason you have to be so careful. Like I said, you are clearly here for a reason, so we need to protect you and stop you from coming into harms way. That thing can't get into the barracks, thats what the perimeter security fence is for."

I was quite touched about his concern for me, and that he was clearly protective of me, so decided to let the matter drop. I quickly made up my mind to make the most of a bad situation, for now anyway. I would see how it went. I'd see if I could adapt to living on this island.

We chatted for a while longer, and then Richard retired into his house. He had been up all night travelling back so was tired and needed to sleep. I decided to cook something nice for dinner later. Maybe he would join me if he wasn't too busy. I would ask him anyway.


	8. Chapter 8 - Dinner Al Fresco

I settled on a chicken pie. Any leftovers would do for tomorrow and there would be plenty should I have a guest. Once it was in the oven, I went out to sit on the porch, hoping that Richard would appear. After a while I became aware of somebody approaching. To my dismay I looked up to see Ben walking towards the house. After exchanging pleasantries, he thankfully turned towards Richard's door. When Richard appeared, they spoke in low murmurs, and then walked off together.

I cursed with disappointment but then scolded myself for becoming so reliant on Richard for company. Was there something special about him? Or could it have been anyone else if they had shown me kindness? I needed to make some new friends. Richard was rarely here anyway. Maybe if I was given a job as he had suggested it would give me more opportunity to socialise.

Evening came and I dug into a portion of chicken pie hungrily out on the porch. To treat myself I opened a bottle of Dharma wine that i'd found in the stores. It wasn't all that great but I figured it was better than nothing and in time i'd learn to appreciate it. After two glasses I was feeling pleasantly giddy, which was probably why I was feeling all confident by the time Richard returned.

"Care to join me?" I called.

"Sure!" Richard replied, looking at the half full bottle of wine and the rest of the pie sitting on the table. I fetched another glass and plate and sat watching him devouring a portion of pie.

"How long are you here for?" I asked him.

"I have to go back to camp in the morning." he replied. "I asked Ben to find a job for you. He's going to speak to you about it tomorrow."

We spent the rest of the evening talking about music, books, movies and our other interests. I learned that Richard could speak both Spanish and Latin. We finished off the wine, and another bottle that Richard produced. It had been a lovely night, but had to end some time. As we said our goodbyes, I gave into temptation, and flung my arms round Richard, embracing him in a hug.

"Thank you for helping me and making all this bearable." I said. He returned the hug and gently held me, before eventually letting me go and turned to retreat through his door.

I went to bed happy that night. I couldn't deny it to myself any longer. I had feelings for Richard that were only getting stronger by the day. I was relatively inexperienced in relationships. I'd had boyfriends whilst at school, but nothing serious. Once I started travelling I was never in one place long enough to really meet someone and form a relationship. Nobody had ever made me feel like Richard did. I wondered about his history. Could he have feelings for me too? Did he already have someone? It had never come up, but he certainly hadn't mentioned anyone. He was older than me, perhaps mid 30s? Maybe he had a girl back at his camp waiting for him. The thought depressed me so I closed my eyes and forced myself to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9 - The Farm

I awoke to a sharp knock at the door and dashed to answer it in my PJs. It was a girl whom I recognised from seeing her around the barracks.

"Ben would like to see you. You'll find him at home. He lives at number 22." She gave me a brief smile and then was gone.

"Thanks!" I called after her.

Half an hour later, Ben was inviting me into his home. It seemed surprisingly normal (i'm not sure what I was expecting. It was bigger than my house, probably 2 bedroomed. A little girl appeared.

"Who is it Daddy?" She asked, as she emerged into view. She looked to be about 4 years old, and had long, dark curly hair.

"Alex, this is Sophie, she's new here. Now go and find something to play with, I won't be long." Ben told the little girl, who ran off, presumably to her bedroom.

We sat at Ben's kitchen table and he made coffee.

"I trust you're settling in ok?" Ben asked.

"I guess so." I replied.

"Well since it looks like you could be here for a while, which I understand Richard has explained to you, he has suggested I create a role for you in our community. Whilst you are not experienced enough to take a more active role in our operation, there are plenty of jobs at the barracks that need doing. I intend to have you help David manage the inventory. Does that sound ok to you?"

"Sounds good, and he seems like a nice guy. I'm keen to get to know people better. At the moment I feel like they aren't keen to talk to me. Do you know why that may be?" My response was not very subtle, but I did feel entitled to an explanation for Ben trying to turn people against me. He did well to keep his poker face in place though, and clearly he wasn't about to readily admit to what he had done.

"You must understand that we rarely have outsiders stay here. In fact I don't believe it has actually happened before. You appear to be an exception to the rule. Therefore it is only natural that people will be wary of you to begin with. I'm sure that will change in time though. Everyone is 100% committed to our cause here, and due to the nature of it, we are unable to discuss our activity with anyone from the outside. If you feel left out due to this then i am sorry but thats just the way it is."

Ben wasn't the most warm and friendly person i'd ever met, I think it just wasn't in his personality. But at least we could be civil to each other.

Our meeting came to a natural end, and I made my way over to the supplies building to see David, who had already been informed of the new arrangement.

Over the next few days David filled me in on what needed to be done each day. Food, clothing, and equipment would be distributed as people needed it, and they would return items when they were no longer needed. Due to the remoteness of the island, it became clear that new clothes and possessions could not easily be sourced, so everything needed to be kept in good condition and used over and over again. When someone had finished with something it was made available for somebody else. I was probably at a disadvantage as hadn't had chance to bring my own clothes with me like everyone else. I wasn't much into fashion, but would have loved some clothes that fitted me well and were in decent condition. There were plenty in the stores, but they seemed to be the wrong size, the wrong fit, or were just plain old or stained.

One morning, whilst I was attempting to put the piles of books into some order, a familiar face appeared in the doorway.

"Richard!" I exclaimed, smiling up at him. I was pleased to see him. He had only been away a couple of days but I hadn't been sure when I would see him next.

"You're hard at work so I won't keep you, and I have to dash anyway. Just popped in to say hi as i'm going to be away for a while. I have an errand to run and it'll take 2 - 3 weeks."

I was rather dismayed at this but tried not to show it. I was dying to ask where this errand was and what he would be doing but knew better than to ask too much. We sat and drank a soda together though while I told him all about my new job, before he left.

The next couple of weeks were busy. I missed Richard, but at least I wasn't sitting alone for hours anymore thinking about him. Each day, as part of the routine, David had to go over to the farm to pick up vegetables, eggs, chicken and milk from Mikhail. Mikhail didn't like coming to the barracks and apparently he wasn't the most sociable person. He couldn't really leave what he was doing up there either, so it was always for us to go and collect from him. David had always done it until now, but I eventually persuaded him to let me do the trip with him.

We set out early the next morning with a large empty backpack. It was a two mile trip along a well beaten track through the jungle. When we eventually came to a clearing David instructed me to hold back, as we cautiously approached.

"MIKHAIL IT'S DAVID, I'M BRINGING ALONG A NEWCOMER." David shouted.

The building was part of an old Dharma Station called the Flame. Next to it was a small stretch of farm land where the fresh produce grew. We slowly approached the building, and Mikhail appeared at the door, watching me suspiciously. Mikhail was an ex soldier, and was clearly on his guard at this moment. He had an eyepatch over one eye, and was dressed in ex military gear.

"Mikhail, this is Sophie. She's our newest addition. She's going to be helping me, so you will be seeing more of her from now on." David seemed nervous.

Mikhail looked me over again, then got back to business. He handed us various produce, a bunch of carrots, two marrows, a bag of chicken which he had butchered into portions, 3 boxes of eggs and 2 large bottles of milk. I packed it all carefully into the backpack, loaded it onto my back and we said our goodbyes. David had expected to carry the bag back but I had insisted. I wanted to prove that I was capable of making the trip alone. A daily trip to the farm would help give me the freedom I craved.

Sure enough, David agreed, and I started doing the trip alone each morning. He gave me the code to the security fence, which made me feel trusted, though how pleased Ben would be about this I was't sure. It became a daily routine and I enjoyed it. It made me tempted to venture further afield, but I remembered Richard's warning and decided not to for now. Besides, I would have probably got myself Lost.

I missed Richard. I had started to chat to chat to the people that came and went from the stores, but it wasn't the same. I missed his beautiful face, and the way his smile warmed me. It had been nearly three weeks since he left, and not knowing which day he would appear made me more impatient.


	10. Chapter 10 - Learning Chess

Eventually, on day 21, there he was, strolling towards the house, a large backpack strapped to his shoulders. This time I couldn't help myself, and I ran and flung my arms round him. He seemed taken aback but pleased, and embraced me into a hug. Whilst I wondered where he had been, I didn't ask, as I didn't care all that much. All that mattered was that he was back. I noticed he'd had a hair cut.

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't hang around as I was needed at the store, and Richard was clearly tired and needed to sleep, so I went off, but only after he promised that he would be sticking around for a couple of days.

I ploughed through the daily chores as quickly as I could. By mid afternoon I was pretty much done and hurried home. There didn't seem to be any sign of Richard, so I went inside. In my kitchen sat a large carrier bag, and intrigued, I looked inside. It was full of clothes. Not clothes like we had in the store, but proper clothes. Most were practical, outdoor garments - shorts, t-shirts, sweaters and a pair of hiking boots, and there were also PJs, lounge pants and new underwear. It was all brand new, still with their tags, and all in my size. I was stunned. Did Richard leave them for me, and if so where did he get them? Either he sent for them from one of the contacts on the mainland….or…..could he have been there himself? He had told me that his people generally didn't go back to the 'outside world', but was he an exception? He was the one person that didn't answer to Ben after all. Thoughts swirled in my head, until I looked up and realised he was standing in the doorway.

"Like your new stuff?" he asked.

"This is really for me? How did…" but he cut me off at that point.

"Don't….don't ask me any questions please. I just thought you deserved to have your own clothes like everyone else. If anybody asks just say you were given them and you don't know where they came from."

"Thank you" was all I could reply. I was so touched. He had obviously broke the rules in getting me this stuff.

"You hungry? I have some casserole in the fridge that I can heat up for dinner?" I asked.

"Starving!" came his reply.

We sat out on the porch, ate casserole and drank wine. I was getting used to this Dharma variety now. I told him all about how work was going, and mentioned my daily trip to Mikhail's. He looked a bit concerned about this.

"I don't know if you should be doing that. I told you it's dangerous out there. Going with David is one thing, but you shouldn't be going on your own. What if you hit trouble? There's a reason why everyone carries a rifle when they go outside the barracks."

"Well i'll take a rifle then." I suggested helpfully.

"Do you even know how to shoot one?" Richard looked doubtful.

"Well you could teach me." I pushed.

"Maybe. Can you play Chess?" Richard changed the subject.

"I've played it a couple of times in the past but can't remember what i'm doing very well." I admitted.

Richard went and fetched a chess set out of his house, and he spent the rest of the evening teaching me how to play properly. He even let me win a couple of games to keep me motivated.

"When do you go back?" I asked.

"I have to spend the day with Ben and Tom tomorrow but i'll go back first thing the day after." He confirmed.

When it got late we said our goodnights and went through our respective doors.

I loved it when he was here but it always felt so temporary. I got the impression he didn't really like being around the barracks and preferred to be off in the wilderness. I guess he must have done or he wouldn't have chose to live like that.

I didn't see him much the next day, and when he finally arrived home he looked tired and drained so I felt too bad to ask him to sit out with me again. We spoke briefly, and he said he would be back in about a week.

I went to bed sad that I wouldn't be seeing him again for a while. Should I tell him how I feel next time I saw him? Maybe not, it could ruin the friendship that we had formed and that was the last thing I wanted to do. Maybe he had already figured it out though.


	11. Chapter 11 - Can I Go?

I had settled into life at the barracks better than I thought I would. I now had my hour and a half of freedom each day when I would do the trip to the farm, and my neighbours seemed to be starting to accept me. I can't say they were friendly and accommodating yet, but they were pleasant and civil. Richard had introduced me to a nice girl that had been on the island for 18 months. In fact she was the newest addition after me. Her name was Juliette. At 36 she was older than me, but we got on well and she was friendly and warm. She hadn't been bought to the island for the same reason as the others. She was a fertility doctor and was here to carry out research, as far as I understood. The only downside was that she spent much of her time on hydra island, where the main lab is located, which was a fair journey from the barracks, so was only back now and then, a bit like Richard in this respect I guess. Still, I enjoyed her company when she was here.

I was enjoying working with David. I can't say we were the best of friends, we had different personalities, and he was of the older generation. I respected him though and he would tell me about his travels and life experiences before he came to the island.

One afternoon I was helping David sort through the food supplies, deciding which foods needed using up first, when he dropped into the conversation that I would be on my own the following day, as he needed to deliver some supplies to a camp that were situated on the other side of the island. This wasn't usually necessary, as people from the camp would take supplies with them whenever they happened to visit the barracks, but nobody had been back recently, and they were running low. My ears pricked up. As I understood it, there was only really the one camp that toured the island, and anyone else based away from the barracks were at Dharma Stations.

"Is that the camp that Richard is at?" I asked casually. Trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yes. You know him?" David asked.

"Well his house is next door to mine so i see him when he comes to the barracks." I confirmed. "Can I come with you?" I would love to see more of the island. And it does get a bit boring being here every day."

"If you knew where you were going I'd send you on the errand to save me having to go. It's not the most relaxing journey. It involves a full days walking. I'll have to start out at 5:00am and won't get there till 19:00pm, and thats with only a couple of quick breaks. I'll have to stay overnight there and leave at the crack of dawn the next morning. Do you really want to put yourself through all that?" He obviously assumed any sane person would change their mind. But I was not to be deterred.

"Yes, i'd really like to come, please?" I was determined now. David paused to think about my request.

"Well i'd have to square it with Ben." He said. That was a blow. Ben would almost certainly say no. I still didn't feel he really trusted me, or even liked me. Though Ben didn't seem to like anyone and the feeling was generally mutual.

"But he won't even notice i'm gone, I hardly ever see him. And you didn't need to check with him when you took me to the farm." I pleaded. David sighed and seemed resigned.

"Ok you can come. But you need to listen to me and do what I tell you. I don't want you wondering off and getting yourself lost or hurt."

I promised to be as good as gold, and made my way home excitedly. With the early start and long hike I knew I must get an early night. After a bite to eat I packed an overnight bag with a change of clothes and nibbles and water for the journey. Eventually I made myself fall asleep, excited about what tomorrow would bring.


	12. Chapter 12 - Journey To Camp

David was at my door at 5:00am sharp. I was showered, dressed and ready to go. David had divided the supplies we were delivering into two large backpacks, and had left enough room for us to put our own overnight stuff at the top. I pulled mine over my shoulders. It was heavy, though I was used to it from my trips to the farm, and at least it wouldn't be as heavy coming back.

We hiked all morning at a fast pace. Much of the route was over fields, down tracks, and over/amongst the mountains, and some was through the jungle. I hoped I would actually get to see the beach and the sea, though David confirmed that the route unfortunately didn't take us near to the coast. At lunchtime we stopped and shared some of the food we had bought for the journey, but it wasn't long before we were walking again. We didn't run into any trouble. There was no sign of any black smoke, and we didn't come across anyone else. The scenery was breathtaking and beautiful, colourful birds swooped and soared around us. It was strenuous and I was tired, but the excitement of arriving at Richard's camp kept me going.

The afternoon gradually disappeared, and at teatime we stopped for more fuel. I was so tempted to lay back on the field and close my eyes for a while, but knew we needed to continue.

Eventually, at pretty much 19:00pm on the dot, David gestured towards a plume of smoke a few hundred yards ahead.

"There they are." He exclaimed.

We walked through a further copse of trees, and, finally, I could see a camp in front of us. I was expecting modern dome tents, but these were large old military style structures. I can't imagine they travelled too often as transporting all of this must have been a major operation. A man appeared, apparently from nowhere holding a rifle. He seemed to recognise David straight away though and greeted him with a smile, though eyed me suspiciously. David introduced me, and the man seemed to accept my being there. He led us over to the camp.

A large fire burned in the centre, and people sat around chatting. They looked different to those back at the barracks. These people looked wild and dirty and walked with bare feet (reminding me of my meeting with Jacob). I'm not sure what I expected, but this wasn't it. Richard always looked so clean and smartly presented, unless that was just whilst at the barracks. They nodded a greeting at David, but didn't seem to consider him a friend, so I don't know what chance I had with them. Not that I really cared. There was only one person here that I wished so see. I scanned the camp for him but couldn't see any sign. I hoped it hadn't been a wasted journey. It would be just my luck if he was back at the barracks.

"You didn't mention there would be two of you." Called a stocky looking man who came strolling over. "I'll sort an extra tent for you.".

"Thanks Bob!" David said, and introduced me.

"We should probably get an early night, we have an early start tomorrow." David advised.

As I scanned the camp again, I saw somebody emerging from one of the tents to my left. My eyes met his, and we gazed at each other for a few seconds, him looking utterly surprised.

"What…..what are you doing here?" He asked incredulously.

"I came with David." I replied. He looked slightly disapproving, but I brushed it off. I knew he didn't want me gallivanting around the island by myself but surely if I was accompanied by someone experienced it was ok.

We sat down by the fire with the rest of the camp and hot cups of tea were passed round. There wasn't much chatter. Clearly these people spent a lot of time together and were comfortable with silence. As people gradually began to drift away, Richard leaned over and whispered to me.

"Take a walk with me?

Nobody took any notice of us wandering off together. It was a beautiful night and the sky was full of stars.

"Are you annoyed I came?" I asked, hoping that his disapproval had diminished.

"Of course i'm not." He said. "It's nice to see you."

"I've missed you." I admitted.

"You had David for company." He joked.

"So this is where you live."

"Yeah, I guess this is where I call home." He acknowledged.

"Why live like this? And not at the barracks though?"

"I guess i've just got used to it. I've lived on the island far longer than the barracks have been there, and i've always managed just fine". He mused.

"This is your tent?" We came to a stop by the tent he had emerged from earlier and he lead me in.

It was quite spacious inside. A single camp bed was in one corner, and a table and chair in the other. There were boxes and chests full of his possessions stacked against one wall. It was basic yet looked comfortable. An oil lamp on the table provided enough light to see around.

I looked at Richard, his face illuminated by the lamp light. He was beautiful. His dark eyes met mine and we stood there for a moment, just taking each other in. I could have easily leaned over and kissed him, but was too worried about what his reaction would be. The way he looked at me gave me hope that he felt the same, but there was still a guard surrounding him that I didn't feel I had yet broken through. I still knew little about his life and his past. If only he would open up to me.

We became aware of murmurs outside, as people cleared the camp up for the night, so I followed him out. Bob approached me, and offered to show me to what would be my tent for the night. It was right on the edge of the camp by the trees. There was a bed inside, but it was basic and not homely like Richard's. Still it was only for one night. I thanked him and retired inside. I unpacked my overnight bag and freshened up, before curling up on the small bed.

I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to take over, but it never came. Then the noises started. There must have been wild animals of some sort outside in the trees, though I wasn't sure what sort. I buried my head in my pillow and tried to block it out. I lay there for over an hour trying to go off, to no avail. There was now a new sound coming through. It sounded a lot like the strange whispering noise I had heard before, just before the black smoke had appeared. I began to panic. I felt all alone on the outskirts of the camp. The nearest people were strangers to me anyway. I couldn't lie there anymore, I couldn't bear it any longer, so I got up and peered out of the tent.

The air was clear, the whispers had stopped, but it had become eerily silent instead. I stepped out of the tent and made my way to the centre of the camp, where the embers of the fire were still dying out. There was nobody around. Everyone had retired to their tents which were all in darkness, and all I could hear was silence. I looked over to Richard's tent. It was one of those 'Should I, Shouldn't I' moments. I slowly started walking towards it. The entrance was loosely hooked in place, so I peeled it back a few inches and peered in. In the dim moonlight I could see him sound asleep on his bed. He looked peaceful. He wore a black t-shirt that showed off his muscular arms and torso, and lounge pants. It was too late to back down now, so I closed the entrance behind me, and crept over to him, perching down to sit on the edge of his bed. He woke up with a start.

"You ok?" He croaked, sleepily.

"I was scared on my own." I admitted, pathetically.

He reached up and took hold of my arm, gently pulling me down onto the bed. I kicked my boots off and lay down beside him, leaning back against his warm chest. He wrapped his strong arms around me and held me close to him, nuzzling is face into my hair. I was no longer scared. I was now just where I wanted to be. As much as I didn't want to miss a moment of this, I relaxed and closed my eyes sleepily.


	13. Chapter 13 - Back To Reality

"Time to get up." I vaguely heard Richard whisper sleepily, his lips brushing my ear as he spoke. We were still lying in the same position as we had fallen asleep together. My back snuggled into Richards chest, with his arms wrapped tightly around me.

"What time is it?" I murmured.

"5:30am, but people will be starting to get up soon, and may get a shock if they catch you coming out of my tent." He chuckled. He started to free his arms and sit himself up, but I cheekily pulled him back into position.

"Five more minutes." I bargained with him.

"Two and a half and thats my final offer." He counter offered, snuggling his face back into my hair. I could have lay there with him all day perfectly contented, but I didn't particularly want to be the subject of camp gossip either, and besides, we were leaving at 7:00am. David had figured that we would need a decent nights sleep after a whole day of walking, before embarking on the return journey, so set the leaving time a little later than yesterday. The two and a half minutes seemed to go by in seconds, and before I know it Richard was up and pulling me up from his cosy bed.

"When will you be back next?" I asked gloomily.

"Ben will probably want to see me in a few days. In the meantime please don't go gallivanting around the jungle again. I feel much happier when I know you're safely at the barracks." I was touched at the fact that he seemed to care about me so much. But was that personal or did he feel an obligation to keep me safe at Jacob's request? I wasn't sure but hoped that it was the former.

We briefly hugged goodbye before he lead me by the hand out of the tent, and from there, watched me reluctantly trudge back to my own crappy tent.

I freshened up, got dressed and headed back out to see if there was any chance of some breakfast. By then a few people had emerged and had started getting ready for their day. Some sat round the camp fire and others busied themselves with tasks. I sat down at the fire, and David appeared shortly after.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Took me a while but I did in the end." I confirmed. We were offered bowls of porridge which we gratefully accepted. The morning was chilly and damp, not the idyllic weather we had had yesterday.

"Looks like it's going to rain." David remarked, looking up at the sky.

We set off as soon as we had eaten. The hike back home wasn't nearly as enjoyable as the previous day. It was probably partly to do with the weather, and partly to do with knowing that Richard wasn't going to be there at the end. The day was long, but we eventually made it back to the barracks by nightfall, tired and weary.

As I walked through the centre of the barracks, a familiar face came into view.

"Hey, it's great to see you." Juliette greeted me.

"You too." I beamed at her. "We should catch up. How long will you be around for?"

"Not long." She rolled her eyes. "I'll only be around a couple of days. Are you free tomorrow evening? I'm thinking food and wine on my porch?"

"Perfect." I replied.

I had never been more pleased to climb into bed that night, and I looked forward to seeing Juliette the next day. If I couldn't have Richard near me then she was the next best thing on the island.


	14. Chapter 14 - Juliette

We settled onto Juliette's porch, with wine open , and music playing in the background. Juliette filled me in on what she'd been up to. Apparently her research was progressing nicely, hence her spending more and more time over on Hydra Island. She had two girls working for her, who preferred to keep a practically permanent residence over there, so at least she had company. They often spent time on the beach together which sounded rather appealing. If it weren't for the fact that I would have never got to see Richard I would have probably tried to get in on her research team. Ethan spent most of his time over there as well as he was a doctor and the main medical unit was there.

"So how're things with you?" she asked.

I told her about how work was going, about how I walked to the farm each day, and about the trip i'd just been on. Whilst I saw Juliette as a good friend, I wasn't quite ready to tell her my feelings for Richard yet, so decided to casually drop him into the conversation without seeming too eager. There was still a lot of mystery surrounding him, despite all the time i'd spent with him. Maybe she could shed some light on him.

"Do you know Richard well"? I asked, nonchalantly. He had introduced us when the three of us had happened to find ourselves in the centre of the barracks at the same time.

"Not that well. He was the one that recruited me here." she confirmed.

"You met him here or on the mainland?" I pushed.

"We met in LA, then when I agreed to sign up, I travelled over on the sub with him. I've not seen much of him since i've been here though. He's almost never over on Hydra." I was intrigued by this part. So he was over in LA.

"I thought people weren't really allowed to the mainland." I queried.

"Only Richard and Tom ever go." Juliette confirmed. "Nobody else is allowed, though most don't seem to want to ever go back anyway. But Richard and Tom go quite regularly. They liaise with the mainland contacts, and bring anything (or anyone) back here thats needed."

Well this certainly explained how he got my clothes. I wondered why he hadn't told me about this. He was probably worried i'd nag him in to getting me off the island.

"Do you know Richard well?" Juliette turned the question to me. I think she sensed that I was intrigued by him.

"A bit. Our houses adjoin. So he's my next door neighbour when he's up at the barracks. He's one of the few people here that has really shown me much kindness."

Juliette paused, as if considering her next question carefully.

"Have you ever noticed, or heard anything strange about Richard?" She asked

"Like what?" Now I was very intrigued. What was she about to tell me?

"It's probably a load of rubbish...but i've heard strange things that various people have told me. It sounds ridiculous in fact, I feel completely nuts even saying it out loud. I wondered whether you had heard the same stories though." She said with a laugh.

"Just tell me." I tried to laugh and pretend I wasn't that bothered, and wasn't completely scared to death about what she was about to tell me. What if, whatever the thing was, would make me feel differently about him.

"well, rumour has it, that...Richard doesn't age." She laughed.

This actually made me genuinely laugh, with relief. Clearly it couldn't be true. But it did sound odd that people were spreading rumours of it.

"What are you on about?" I chuckled.

"I'm serious - many people actually swear to it." Laughed Juliette. "They say he has known Ben since Ben was a little boy, but Richard looked back then exactly how he does now. He's apparently been on the island since the 1860s, and he's actually 160 years old."

We both burst out laughing again, but the more I thought about it, the more something inside nagged at me. It couldn't be true could it. But there was no denying that something about him was 'different'. He seemed older than he looked, and if he'd spent most of his life on the island, how was he so knowledgable and educated about everything, and where would he have learned Spanish? I also thought back to our conversation at the camp. He'd said he'd been on the island far longer than the barracks had been here. I had thought at the time he'd meant he'd been here before his people took over the barracks when the Dharma Initiative left, but could he have meant he had been here way before the buildings even existed? I understood from David that the barracks were first built in the late 1960s, but Richard would have been just a boy back then. Not impossible I guess but unlikely.

The conversation moved away from Richard and Juliette gave me the lowdown on various people. Unlike Richard she didn't mind being honest if she didn't like someone and spoke the truth. Richard was a bit too tactful in this respect. We laughed and drank wine until late before I dragged myself home. I still hadn't fully recovered from the trip, and couldn't wait to fall into bed.


	15. Chapter 15 - Day Trip

It had been two weeks since my trip to camp. Richard had said he'd be back in a few days but there had been no sign of him. I was worried something had happened but then I would have probably heard about anything serious going on. I was tempted to ask Ben whether he would be seeing him anytime soon, but didn't want Ben to suspect anything, and neither did I particularly want to have to talk to Ben anyway.

I gloomily went through the motions each day, and my only real enjoyment was when I took my daily stroll to the farm. Each day I thought to myself how tempting it would be to just take myself off on an adventure on my own. I knew I would get in trouble though and even more off putting was that I knew Richard would be cross.

If i'd known it would be this long before he was back i'd have probably faked an illness to get sent over to Hydra Island to spend time with the girls over there for a few days.

Another day was starting as my sleep came to an abrupt halt, when there was a knock at my door. Assuming it was David come to give me instructions for the day, I dragged myself over to the door unenthusiastically and pulled it open. But there he was, looking fresh and smart and immaculate as he always did. My face immediately broke into a huge smile, and he beamed back.

"Think you can get the day off work?" He asked. My heart leapt. This was starting out to be the best day ever.

"I'm sure I can, i'll just have to go and check with David."

I'll be waiting, Richard grinned.

I ran over to David's house in double quick time and knocked impatiently. Eventually he appeared looking cross at being disturbed in such a way, but I put on my most pleading face and asked in my nicest voice for the day off. He didn't ask why and I didn't offer it to him, but luckily he agreed. I'd worked so hard lately and hadn't had a day off in ages so it was only fair that he let me anyway.

I hurried back. Richard was sitting on our porch reading a book.

"He gave me the day off." I blurted out happily.

"Good!" replied Richard. "I've just got to put a few things together, be ready in 20 minutes?"

"Where are we going?" I asked. Excited that it would be something new and we were not just going to sit on the porch like we always did (though I did love doing that too).

"It's a surprise." was his only reply.

I hurried back inside, showered, and pulled on some clean shorts, a vest top, and my hiking boots. Hiking boots were the staple footwear for everyone on the island as pretty much everywhere you went involved trekking through the jungle at some point.

A few minutes later we were on our way. We took a different route out of the barracks to where I went when I walked to the farm. I recognised it as the path I had come up when I entered for the first time, the day I cam to the island. We walked for a good 2 miles until the trees started to thin out and ahead we saw...the sea. I was so happy. Over two months I had been on the island and not once had I actually got the chance to visit the beach, walk along the sand or swim in the sea.

I ran onto the pure white sand and pulled my boots and socks off, revelling in the feeling of it between my toes. Richard followed behind, laughing at my eagerness.

I had no bathing suit, so just ran into the see in my shorts and vest. I figured it was hot enough that they would dry quickly anyway.

Richard didn't want to swim, but instead took his boots off, rolled up his trousers and paddled. He seemed to be using a stick to try and catch a fish. Good luck to him with that.

After a refreshing bathe I made my way up the beach to where Richard had settled himself. Impressively he had managed to catch two good sized fish, and was filleting them with a knife. He lit a fire out of driftwood, and set the fish over it. Clearly he had done this many times before. He peeled a mango, and we sat eating the makeshift meal while gazing out to the ocean.

Afterwards, we lay back on the sand under the shade of a palm tree and relaxed. I rested my head on his shoulder and he curled his arm around me, holding me close. I imagined we were just a regular couple, on the beach in Mexico, taking a break before hitting the town later. I wondered what Richard liked to do socially, like when he was in LA. This made me think of my strange conversation with Juliette yesterday.

"Hold old are you?" I asked.

"You've asked me that before. I'm 37." He answered casually.

"How long have you been 37?" I tried.

I felt his body tense up and he was quiet. I couldn't see his face from the position I was in, but I guessed I had thrown him a bit. It freaked me out a bit. Could there be any truth in that absurd story? Finally he spoke.

"Thats a strange question to ask." He observed. I decided to be honest.

"I had a weird conversation with Juliette yesterday. She told me she'd heard something about you. Something that couldn't possibly be true. It was just strange thats all." Richard was silent. "She said...you don't age...which is madness right?" After another long pause Richard finally spoke.

"If _you_ find it hard to believe, how do you think _I_ feel? I have to live with it."

I looked up at him startled. Was he joking with me or being serious? If by any chance it was true I wanted to appear cool about it. I didn't want him to think I thought he was some kind of freak. So I asked him outright.

"Is it true?"

"Would it change things if it was?" He asked.

"No!" I replied. And I was being honest. If he did have this thing, whatever it may be, I wouldn't be able to just stop loving him because of it. And yes, by now I was in love with him.

"Jacob made me this way. I don't know how it works, but after being like it for nearly 130 years, i've just come to accept it. It's a hard thing for me to talk about. I've never really talked to anyone about it before. Everyone on the island knows - it's no big secret, but they know I don't really like questions."

I leaned over and lay my ear to his chest.

"Yes of course my heard beats." He said chuckling. "I'm very much alive, I just don't change in any way or get old. I never get sick, and I can't kill myself. If someone or something else was to kill me though then I don't know what would happen."

I asked the question that had been bugging me since I first found out.

"Where does that leave you with relationships and things. Isn't it hard watching everyone around you get old and die?"

"Yes!." He nodded. "That parts really hard, and it's why I tend to shy away from relationships, or close friendships. I tend to keep everyone at arms length. It's easier that way."

This was certainly not what I wanted to hear.

"So you've never been in a relationship?" I queried.

"I have a long, long time ago, before I came to the island, but since i've been this way then no. Ive learned to live without them."

Richard finally opened up and told me about his past. He was from the Canary Islands and was married to a woman named Isabella. She tragically died of TB in 1867, and after unintentionally getting into a fight with a doctor, who was killed as a result, he was arrested and sent on a slave ship to America, though it became shipwrecked and crashed onto the island, where he met Jacob.

It was a lot to take in. Despite everything he told me, the only thing that was really playing on my mind was the fact that he didn't have relationships. Was it set in stone? If so then I was rather cross that he couldn't have been straight with me in the first place. He must have known how I felt. He sensed my unease.

"Tell me what you're thinking." he asked.

"If you really want the truth...i'm gutted!" I admitted reluctantly. "I'm gutted that you don't want me. You must know how I feel about you. There's something between us, you must be able to feel it too. I wish you'd been honest with me from the outset, rather than let me believe that we could be together."

I was getting quite worked up now and was near to tears. I really didn't want to cry in front of him but was finding it hard to stop myself.

He stood in front of me and stroked my cheek, wiping away a single tear that had escaped.

"I do and I feel the same." He whispered.

"But you just said you couldn't have a relationship." I challenged.

"I said I hadn't had them, not that I couldn't." He smiled. "You're special though, and I think i'm going to have to just make an exception with you. It's certainly taken me by surprise I must say. I wasn't expecting to feel like this about someone. I have completely fallen in love with you. You must have bewitched me. This feels completely new to me and i'm not sure how to handle it. "

I was in heaven. Richard loved me, and inside I was screaming with glee and happiness. He rested his forehead against mine, and our lips met in a slow lingering kiss.


	16. Chapter 16 - Sweet Dreams

We watched the sun gradually disappear into the sea, before walking hand in hand back to the barracks. Richard had to go back to camp in the morning, so I wanted to be with him every moment until then.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" I asked him, as we approached our porch.

Richard looked nervous and a little embarrassed, but nodded in agreement.

"I'll be over in half an hour." He promised, and disappeared into his house.

I jumped in the shower and washed the sea water out of my hair, then pulled on my nicest PJs. I was nervous, but I suspected Richard was even more so. If he really hadn't been with anyone since his wife, 130 years ago, then I could understand his trepidation. Perhaps we should take things slowly. There was no need to rush after all.

There was a knock at the door and Richard appeared, his hair all ruffled from the shower, wearing a tight t-shirt and lounge pants that hung off his hips. We smiled at each other shyly as he followed me into my bedroom.

We climbed into bed and I curled up in his arms. In the outside world we could have watched a movie or something to break the tension a bit but I didn't have a video player (though there were some knocking around, I would have to try and source myself one).

"I wish you weren't going back tomorrow. Can't you come and spend a week here or something?" I sighed.

"It sounds tempting, but it wouldn't really be fair on my people. I would feel I was abandoning them." He admitted.

"Well you'll just have to make lots of short trips." I told him.

"Don't worry I will be." He replied with a smile, and planted a kiss on my head.

I looked up at him and his mouth met mine in a slow, lingering kiss. For someone as out of practice as him he could certainly kiss well. The kiss became more intense, and I ran my hands through his dark hair, while he brushed his hands down to my hips and embraced me. His body was now pressed against mine, and it became clear just how much he must have been enjoying himself. I pulled away to catch my breath, reached down and pulled my vest off. I could see his dark eyes widen, from the moonlight that poured through the window. I reached for his t-shirt and he helped me pull it over his head. His body was toned and muscular, and I ran my hands down his torso. His mouth claimed mine, and I lay on my back while he moved his hips over mine, and before I knew it we were making love. It was intense yet tender, and it felt like our bodies were truly made for each other. He made sure I was satisfied, before releasing himself with a satisfied groan.

We lay in each others arms all night. If I hadn't been so tired I would have probably stayed awake all night, just to drag the moment out for as long as I could, but I was spent from our long day at the beach, and drifted off.

I awoke to the feel of soft kisses on my neck.

"I have to go." He whispered, as he nuzzled his face into my hair. This was the moment that I had not been looking forward to.

"I hate not knowing when i'm going to see you again." I complained.

"I'll be back soon, I promise."

We showered together, before dressing and going next door to his house. I hadn't really spent much time in his house before, and had only really ever progressed to the kitchen, so I was interested to see how he lived. It didn't feel as homely as my house, probably because he spent so little time there. I sat on his bed watching sadly as he filled his backpack, ready to go back to his Camp. Shortly after, I sent him on his way with a loving kiss.

I dragged myself to work, where I spent the day mourning the loss of Richard. Hopefully he would be back again in no time.

I was glad to make my way home late afternoon, but was disappointed to run into Ben on my way.

"And hows life with you Sophie?" He asked. He was pleasant, but there was an underlying tone in everything he said or did that I didn't at all like. He struck me as the sort of person that was only out for himself, and would trample over anybody to get what he wanted.

"I'm ok thanks." I replied, trying to avoid opening up a proper conversation.

"You look tired." He remarked. "Richard keep you up all night?" He asked, sarcastically, with a smirk on his face.

I went red and made my excuses to go before hurrying off. I was NOT going to get into a conversation with him about Richard. But did this mean that he somehow knew about us? I don't know how he could have done when we had only properly been together since the previous evening. I hoped he didn't have camera's installed in my house and made a mental note to check when I got back. I'm sure Richard would have been aware if there had been though and told me. I hoped I wasn't the subject of the local gossip. The people here probably had that little going on in their lives that they loved to have a good natter about each other. Still, I supposed they would find out eventually anyway, as I had no plans to let him go anytime soon.


	17. Chapter 17 - Living on the Island

The next few weeks drifted by. Richard came back every few days, usually only for one or two nights. Those nights were precious though and we'd spend every moment together. He showered me with love and affection, as I did him in return. People got used to seeing us together, and after a while it was common knowledge that we were very much together. As a result of this, I found people opened up to me much more, and clearly accepted me more. Things subsequently improved from a social perspective, which helped the time without him go by.

It was interesting to see peoples reactions to us. Most were quite surprised, commenting that they hadn't known him be with anyone before. I got the impression that Ben didn't like it. Richard was the one person that didn't have to answer to him, and he probably felt that his authority over me had now been compromised. He enjoyed trying to embarrass me with sarcastic remarks, and could never find a nice word to say. I didn't let him get to me though. Being with Richard was worth any hassle that came with it. At the back of my mind was his apparent immortality, but I did my best to block it out, as there was really nothing we could do about it, and thinking about it just stressed me out.

Richard started to take me on day trips to other parts of the island. Usually to the beach as I loved it there so much, but sometimes into the mountains. I felt safe with him, and he would teach me the different survival skills that seemed to come so naturally to him. He even let me try shooting a rifle which was a laugh. Once we camped overnight in a valley, under the stars. He was still adamant that he didn't want me going off alone though - even for short walks, and obeyed him as I didn't want his disapproval. It also touched me that he cared about me so much.

One night, when we were drifting off to sleep in my bed, he threw me with a question..

"If I could get you off the island, would you want to go? You don't need to answer now, but I want you to think about it."

I was rather taken aback.

"This is hypothetical right?" I asked, knowing that it was anything but that.

"Of course." He lied.

"Would you come with me?" I queried.

"No. I couldn't do that." He said, after a pause.

My mind was racing. Was I absolutely off my head? He had basically just offered to get me off the island, and subsequently back home, but I was lying there preparing to turn him down.

"Then no." I answered firmly.

I couldn't leave him. No matter how many things there were that I disliked about being here, and no matter how uncertain I felt about what the future would bring, I just couldn't bring myself to be parted from him.

He didn't say anything. But I knew my answer had made him happy, as he turned to me and claimed my lips with his, before making love to me with with so much passion that I felt like I would burst.

He was the first thing I thought about when I woke up each morning, and the last thing I thought about when I went to sleep at night. He was my everything, and I knew I was the same to him.


	18. Chapter 18 - Don't Bet On It

**Really pleased to see people are still reading. And I have my first review which is fab. Would really love to know what others think though so please drop a short line. I'm really enjoying writing it and am nearly coming to the end now. I think there will probably be around 28 chapters in all by the time i've completely finished so if you've got this far you're about two thirds of the way.**

It was a couple of days before i'd last seen Richard, and I was back in my daily routine of work. My alarm clock woke me at the usual time from my slumber, and I sat up, noticing that I didn't feel right at all. I hadn't eaten anything unusual or drank too much the day before, but my stomach felt queasy, and I felt nauseous. It got slowly worse, till I ran to the loo and vomited violently. It happened again half an hour later, but then began to settle down as the day went on, and by the evening I felt ok.

The next day it happened again. I was supposed to be having lunch with Juliette on one of her flying visit, but I didn't feel like eating, so mentioned to her how i'd been feeling. Plus she was a doctor so I figured she may be able to give me something to settle my stomach. She looked at me concerned.

"Please tell me you're using birth control." She demanded.

I suddenly felt panicky. I wasn't, and hadn't really thought about it since i'd been with Richard. I'd never been on the contraceptive pill, and during my few previous experiences, the guy had always taken care of things. I guess I was young and naive and it just hadn't occurred to me as the thought of getting pregnant had seemed so absurd.

"You're not are you?" Juliette scolded as she read my mind. "We need to get a test done right away." But what worried me was that she seemed utterly terrified at the idea that I could be pregnant.

"Would it be so bad if I was?" I wondered out loud. Ok so the island was certainly not the place for having a baby. But I was so on cloud nine about my relationship with Richard, that normal, rational thoughts seemed to have escaped me.

"You have no idea do you." Said Juliette in alarm. It was more of a remark than a question.

"Women who get pregnant on this island always end up dying. That's why i'm here - to carry out research and find out why. It's still very early days though and i'm still nowhere near getting to the bottom of it or finding a solution. I know it's something to do with the electromagnetism of the island somehow causing the immune system to attack the foetus, but thats all I know at this stage. Any women that are brought here have to have a contraceptive injection when they arrive. I guess due to the way you arrived you must have slipped through the net." She went on.

Immediately my face dropped. How could I have not known about this? I had talked to Juliette about work but I realised I hadn't known what it was she was actually researching. But Richard must have known. How had he not been more careful?

There was a small medical centre at the barracks, and Juliette took me straight over. She looked in various cupboards, and eventually produced a home pregnancy test - one of those 'if a line appears then you're pregnant and if nothing comes up then you're not' kits.

I peed on the stick and we waited the three minutes, managing to not peek. When we finally looked, there was a very clear line in the window. Still, I insisted on taking two more tests just to be sure.

Juliette was horrified.

"I'm sorry Sophie but we're going to need to carry out a termination as soon as possible. If we don't then neither you or the baby will survive."

It was hard to take in. I'd actually been secretly excited at the thought of being pregnant with Richard's baby when the subject had first come up, but now it was all going horribly wrong.

"I'm not doing anything till i've spoken to Richard." I snapped back defensively.

"Sophie please. I don't think you are actually aware of how serious this situation is." Juliette pleaded.

I couldn't take anymore, and ran home without looking back at her, ignoring her calls.

I curled up on my bed, hugging Richard's pillow, still able to vaguely catch his scent. A short while later there was a knock at the door. I expected it was Juliette come to persuade me to terminate my baby. I ignored it at first but she wouldn't go away. Eventually I flung the door open, an indigent look on my face. There stood Ben with Juliette behind him. I was so angry that she's gone running to him. She was supposed to be my friend.

"We need to talk." Ben stated, in a voice void of any emotion, as it always was.

"So talk." I replied. Making a point of not inviting them in. I leaned on my doorway and folded my arms.

"You need to have a termination." He announced. If you don't you will die. Whilst I have no personal interest in whether you wish to live or die, unfortunately, Jacob has made it clear that we need you very much alive for whatever reason. Therefore, I must insist on this. It's not your decision. We will undergo the procedure whether you like it or not."

"Don't bet on it." I snapped back.

He looked like he was about to talk again but I decided i'd had enough and slammed the door.

It was teatime but I couldn't eat a thing so I went to bed. I managed to fall asleep in the end but kept waking up every half an hour or so. My head was all over the place. I didn't dis-believe what Juliette had told me, yet neither could I accept that they were going to kill my baby. It may only have been a foetus, and I may have only known about it for a couple of hours, but to me it was my baby. It was mine and Richard's baby. I had to see Richard.

At 3:30am I threw a few snacks in my backpack, pulled on a set of clean clothes and my hiking boots, and walked out of the house, and the barracks.


	19. Chapter 19 - I Need To See Richard

When I'd gone with David to camp, i'd tried as best as I could to memorise the route. But now it was dark and I couldn't be certain. The sun would rise at around 5am though so it wouldn't be long before it was light. Every now and then I would see a familiar landmark which gave me hope. I walked and walked, not caring when my feet started to hurt. At 7am I stopped to pee and take a few gulps of water. The route, as I had remembered was fairly strait forward and easy to follow. Looking back I was probably just incredibly lucky, as I actually managed to not get lost. It was tough though, and I had to stop several times to rest. I hadn't eaten properly in days and I was weak. Some divine power must have been looking over me, guiding me to the right path, and keeping harm from me.

By late afternoon it had started to rain and I began to get nervous. What if the camp had moved on? I couldn't bear the thought of getting there and finding them gone.

Eventually, at 7pm, just when I thought I may have veered off course, I saw smoke in the distance. Adrenaline rushed through me, and I walked as fast as I could towards it. Soon after, I was approaching the huddle of tents, when a voice from behind shouted at me to freeze. I stopped and turned around. I remembered him - it was a guy called Bob. Luckily he recognised me too.

"What are you doing here? We weren't expecting you. Do you have a message? Has something happened?"

"I need to see Richard." I blurted out.

Bob looked concerned. He clearly didn't know about me and Richard so probably thought I had come with important news that was so serious I had to give it directly to Richard.

We walked into camp. There were few people around as it was still raining. Bob called out Richard's name and Richard came strolling out of his tent as we approached. I collapsed into his arms. Those present looked a little taken aback, but Richard didn't offer them any explanation, and led me to his tent.

He lay me on his bed. I was shivering and tearful.

"Please, please tell me that you haven't just walked all the way here by yourself." He sighed. I could tell he was angry, but was trying not to show it because I was upset. I decided to get straight to the point.

"I'm pregnant and Ben wants to kill the baby." I sobbed.

Richard's eyes widened and for the first time since i'd known him, he looked utterly terrified.

"Did you know that, apparently, pregnant women here die?" I stuttered.

"Yes." Was all he managed to say at first. Then he managed to compose himself enough to speak.

"I'm so sorry Soph. This is all my fault. I should have known. I should have been careful. I just didn't think." He leaned on the bed and put his head in his hands.

"How could i have been so stupid. I knew about the problems. I've just never had to think about it myself before. I just didn't think." Richard looked utterly devastated.

It upset me to see him like this. I rather hoped he would tell me not to worry and come up with a solution, and then be pleased about the news. But it looked as if things were hopeless.

I was so tired and weary, that I couldn't stay awake any longer, and my eyes began to close. Richard climbed onto the bed with me and held me close.

Somebody was nudging me awake. I opened my eyes but it was still dark. From the moonlight that came in through the entrance that was now open, I saw a figure in front of me, though I could still feel Richard lying behind me asleep.

"It's me." I heard Juliette's voice.

"How did you find me?" I wondered out loud.

"Well it wasn't very hard to guess where you'd gone. Somebody saw you leave and came to get me. When you didn't return I got Tom to bring me here. I've been worried sick about you. You could have got yourself killed going off on your own like that."

Our conversation woke Richard up, and he sat up and lit a lamp. Juliette looked to him.

"So what's your opinion on all this?" She asked him.

"I'm going to get her off the island." He announced. This was news to me.

"She'll probably lose the baby anyway if you do. It wouldn't survive the pressure of the submarine." Juliette shot back.

"Well i'll get her off here some other way then - by boat." Richard looked flustered

"Richard, we're thousands of miles from civilisation. None of the boats on the island are capable of travelling such distance. You could charter a yacht to come here and pick her up but it'd take weeks and by then the damage will have been done. In fact the damage is probably already being done. Termination is the only option here to save her life, you have to trust me on that." Juliette broke to him.

Richard put his head in his hands again. He was devastated.

"I'll leave you to get some sleep. We'll talk again in the morning." Juliette rose from her seat and left the tent.

We lay back down.

"Go back to sleep." Richard instructed, and kissed my forehead.

I closed my eyes, but they just kept filling with tears, and I lay crying silently for the next hour before tiredness finally got the better of me.


	20. Chapter 20 - A Day At Camp

I woke up feeling Richard's arms around me and for a moment was in heaven, until I remembered.

Richard was quiet. He went and fetched us some porridge and mugs of tea and we sat on his bed eating.

"I'm so sorry Soph." He looked distraught.

"What are we going to do?" I wondered allowed.

"We have no choice." Richard said quietly.

I looked at him with horror.

"Juliette's right. The damage is already being done. There isn't time to get you to safety before it could kill you. I never thought I could father a child. It never even went through my mind. I didn't yearn for one. But...now it's happened, i'm completely devastated about what we have to do." He said soberly.

"NO!" I protested. "I am not going to terminate this baby. I WOULD RATHER IT KILLED ME" I shouted.

"BUT I WON'T HAVE THAT." Richard shouted back. "I WILL NOT LOSE YOU." He looked like he was close to tears. I got up abruptly, and stormed out of the tent. I waited for 10 minutes but became impatient so went to look for him.

I found him staring at the fire alone. A few people were busying themselves around camp, but must have known to leave him alone. Everyone was silent. I approached him and touched his cheek.

"Please don't be mad at me, I don't want to fight. But i'm not going to let them kill our baby. I need you to support me on this." I said.

"I can't do that. You're too important to me." Richard replied forcefully, and he walked away from me. I was left by the fire alone. People around the camp looked over. They were probably dying to know what was going on. They must have heard us arguing in the tent too.

I sat, pondering on the situation. As more time went on, the more adamant I was that I was going to keep the baby. It was strange, but despite all of the horror stories Juliette had told me, something inside me told me that it was going to be ok.

I went to find Richard. He'd walked out of camp although was now out of sight, and I found a path that led in the general direction he'd gone. People saw me leave although nobody attempted to stop me.

I walked for about ten minutes and eventually came to a lake. I caught him out the corner of my eye, sitting on a log and put my hand on his shoulder. He looked up...but it wasn't Richard. It was Jacob.

I stepped back in surprise, and Jacob smiled at me.

"Hello Sophie." He said casually. As before, there seemed a sense of calm and serenity that surrounded him.

I hadn't seen any sign of him since our first meeting when I arrived at the barracks. Richard went off to see him frequently, though never offered to take me, and I got the impression I wouldn't be allowed to go anyway. It seemed very few people got to meet Jacob. I guessed he had a special gift just like Richard, considering Richard had told me that it was Jacob that had made him the way he was.

"Hi." I managed.

"So you found the barracks?" He grinned.

I wasn't in the mood for small talk. Despite being in the very rare presence of Jacob, and having the unique opportunity to talk to him, there was still only one thing on my mind, and tears began to stream from my face.

"Hey, whats up?" Jacob asked, resting his hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

"I'm pregnant." I sobbed. "And everyone seems to want me to have a termination - even Richard. Apparently if I don't I will die."

"Hush now." Jacob soothed. "Everything will be alright. But you must remain strong, and you must make them listen to you. It's very important that you do. I have to go now. You take care." And in the blink of an eye he was gone. As if vanishing into thin air.

Something about his words struck a chord with me, and I knew he was right. I knew that I must protect my baby at all costs.

There were footsteps behind me, and I looked round to see Richard looking relieved.

"I've been looking for you, I was worried about you. People said they saw you walk out of camp. I wish you'd stop going off on your own." He said.

I smiled up at him, took his hand, and pulled him down to sit by me.

"Everything is going to be alright. I need you to trust me." I told him, and kissed him on his cheek soothingly. He looked unconvinced but must have decided that arguing with me was getting him nowhere.

We went back to camp and met back up with Juliette, who had also stopped nagging me, for now at least.

Richard decided that we would stay at camp tonight, and then he would take us home early in the morning.

"I want to live here with you." I said.

"I would like that more than anything." He replied. "But I want you safe and sound at the barracks, where no harm can come to you and where you will be looked after." And for once I didn't protest. Now it wasn't just me I had to think about, and I needed to do what was best for the little bean growing inside me.

We sat around camp for the rest of the day. Richard stayed close to me at all times, but was quiet and didn't bring up the subject again. Not much seemed to be going on. I don't think the people here had known about me and Richard as they looked pretty surprised when they each realised. They sensed that something was going on and were probably dying to know. But this was a private matter between me and Richard, and unfortunately Juliette.

Night fell, and after a meal of wild boar, we retired to Richard's tent. Juliette had been put in the tent at the edge of the camp that I had been given the last time I was here. I felt a bit sorry for her, though only slightly as she was still trying to kill my baby as far as I was concerned.

We snuggled into Richard's little camp bed. He was still distant, and I held him in my arms and tried to sooth him.

"I don't want to loose you." He finally whispered.

"You won't." I replied. But I could tell he was still doubtful.

We drifted off to sleep.


	21. Chapter 21 - I Can't Explain It

**Really pleased that people are reading my story but would really love a few more reviews. Please let me know how i'm doing.**

Early the next morning I set off home with Richard and Juliette. It was a subdued journey, but I was relaxed. They seemed to be almost resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to back down. I just hoped they weren't going to try anything stupid and slip something in my drink to make me unconscious while they carried out the procedure. Richard wouldn't do that though surely.

It made for a much more pleasant journey when walking hand in hand with Richard, rather than trudging along alone, and the time passed slightly quicker than it had done on my outward journey.

We walked into the Barracks in the early evening. Richard made sure I was settled and fed, before heading off somewhere. I suspected he had gone to see Ben and would love to have been a fly on the wall. I felt my ears burning.

It was very late when I finally felt him slip into bed behind me and gently curl his arms around me. He must have been exhausted.

We slept in late the next morning. I'm not sure what David must have been thinking. It was the third day that I had not turned up for work. Maybe Ben had said something to him.

There was a knock at the door, and assuming it was David, reluctantly went to go and offer some sort of explanation. To my irritation though, it was Ben standing on the other side.

"Ready to talk now?" He asked, in that sarcastic voice of his.

I didn't want him in my house, so said i'd be out in a minute, and went in to pull on some clothes and get Richard. He was still fast asleep bless him and I felt bad waking him, but didn't want to have to face Ben alone.

We walked out onto the porch and sat down with Ben.

"So I hear you want to keep the baby." Ben remarked, and I nodded. "Well as long as you realise you're most likely going to die as a result." He continued. "I had worried whether by letting you go through with it I would be going against the express orders of Jacob. But i've decided that i'm going to leave this in Richard's hands and let him decide, and on his head be it."

I breathed a sigh of relief, although I did suspect he was revelling in the fact that this had appeared to have caused a wedge between me and Richard. He probably secretly hoped that either Richard would make me have the termination, and it would split us up in the process, or he would let me go through with it, I would die and Richard would have to deal with the consequences. Either way he would be keeping his hands clean and Richard would be the one to suffer.

"Well let me know what you decide." Ben addressed the two of us, and left.

Richard had been quiet but at last spoke.

"What makes you think you're going to be ok?" He asked.

Despite the fact that Jacob hadn't told me to keep our meeting secret. Something inside me told me that he wouldn't want me to mention it. He regularly spoke to Richard so could have easily told him, but he had chosen to come and speak to me directly. As much as I didn't have secrets from Richard, I just wanted to keep this one to myself. I had to offer him something though. He probably thought I had convinced myself it was going to be ok because I was in denial about the seriousness.

"I can't explain it Richard, but I know that everything is going to be fine. I really need you to trust me on this." I said determinedly, as I looked him straight in the eye.

He seemed torn. One half of him obviously really wanted to trust me, but the other more cautious half still had doubts. But he clearly realised that there wasn't any point in pushing it any further for now.

I was feeling tired so we went and snuggled back into bed for a while, and spent the rest of the day relaxing at home.

Richard had to go back to camp the next day, but promised to be back in a few days. I realised he needed time to think, and come to terms with all of this. I wanted more than anything for him to be happy about the news, but I knew that it wasn't that simple.

Over the next few months he visited often. I loved it when he was back, though he wasn't himself, and I could tell he was brooding on it all, though he seemed at last to have accepted that I was going to go through with it.

We lay in bed one morning and I brought up the subject, asking him how he was feeling about it all.

"I need to talk to Jacob." He replied. "I've been trying to go and see him since I first found out, but he hasn't been there. He must be away at the moment. I'm hoping he can offer me some sort of reassurance."

I don't know what was stopping me from telling him that I had already spoken to Jacob about it, but once again I kept quiet. It just didn't feel right.

When he had left for camp I went to see Juliette, as she was at home for a few days.

"It's time I gave you a scan, to see whats happening in there." She dropped into the conversation, as I sat on her porch drinking tea. "You will need to come over to Hydra Island where all the equipment is. Ethan will be there too. We need to see how the pregnancy is progressing and whether anything is looking abnormal yet."

"Can we do it when Richard's back next? I know he'll want to be there." I asked.

As much as I was looking forward to having a scan, I was going nowhere without Richard. I had previously considered Juliette a good friend, but since all this happened I no longer completely trusted her.

"That's fine, just come over when he's next back. He'll know the way." Juliette confirmed.

This was fine with me. I was rather pleased I would finally get to see our baby (well on a screen anyway).


	22. Chapter 22 - A Trip to Hydra Island

A few days later I was walking out of the camp towards the beach, hand in hand with Richard. It would be an overnight trip so he carried a backpack with our stuff.

We headed a little further up the coast than usual, and eventually came to a new stretch of beach that I hadn't been to before. I looked out to sea, and there, clear as day was Hydra Island. I'd only seen it from a fair distance before. It looked exactly the same as our island, but smaller. There were a couple of paddle boats on the shore, and Richard pulled one down to the water.

"Your carriage awaits." He announced, as he gestured for me to get in. I took his hand and climbed inside, settling myself down on one of the benches. He took a paddle and we began to move. I was prepared to help with the paddling but he wouldn't hear of it (in my condition).

Eventually we hit the shore of Hydra Island and Richard helped me up. He pulled the boat up the beach, and we started to hike into the jungle along one of the paths. Richard clearly knew exactly where to go. After walking a couple of miles it looked like we were hear. It was a strange place. We approached what looked like huge cages made out of bamboo. Lord knows what (or who) they were built for. Past the cages, the external entrance to a bunker came into view. Richard swung the heavy metal door open and ushered me in.

"Welcome to the Hydra Station." He said.

We began walking down a large corridor, which had many doors and smaller corridors leading off of it. A familiar face came into view.

"Hey guys, glad you could make it." Laughed Juliette.

She lead us to their living area, which seemed more homely than the main part of the building, which was very clinical. We sat down and drank coffee in the communal kitchen. Juliette talked about life at the Hydra Station and how they lived day to day. It put me at ease a little - I had been rather tense all day.

After a while, Juliette put her cup down and turned to us.

"Are you guys ready then? I'll do the scan with just the three of us in the room, but Ethan will want to see the results too afterwards."

We followed her back down the corridor and into a side room containing a consultation bed and various equipment and monitors. She ushered me onto the bed and started to turn on various switches and buttons. My nerves began to run wild. This was the moment we would see whether me and baby looked normal. I hadn't got sick yet, or shown any outward signs of being so, but now we would see what was going on inside, and whether there was anything to worry about yet.

Juliette picked up the ultra sound camera and squirted some gel onto it.

"You need to lift up your top so I have access to your entire belly." She told me.

She placed the camera onto my belly, and the screen immediately began to display blurry images.

And there...there it was, or rather there he/she was. Our little baby, looking perfectly formed, was as clear as anything on the screen. You could see it's little arms and legs moving around. Juliette smiled.

"Does it look ok?" Richard asked anxiously, as he held my hand sightly.

"So far so good." said Juliette. "See it's little heartbeat there? It looks nice and strong. I'm just going to take some measurements."

Me and Richard stared in awe at our baby. We had known it was there for some time now but this made it feel real.

"From the measurements, I make it 10 weeks old." Juliette beamed. "I need to have a closer look at everything, and also check other parts of your body, but so far theres nothing to indicate that you or the baby have any problems."

We waited patiently while Juliette finished all of her checks. She eventually put down the camera and turned to us.

"It's all good at the moment." She confirmed. "I'll want to do this on a regular basis, to make sure things stay this way - perhaps every two weeks for now. But right now there is absolutely no need for concern."

Juliette showed us to the room she had made up for us, and I lay down to have a little rest, while Richard chatted with her and Ethan. So it looked like so far I had been right and they had been wrong. Thank god I never listened to them. I smiled to myself happily.

Richard appeared a while later and laid down beside me. He kissed my belly and stroked his hand over it.

"I'm sorry for the way i've been Soph." He said. "I've just been so worried about you."

"Are you happy now?" I asked him.

"I'm better, but I won't be completely happy until this little thing is in our arms, and you are safe and well. And then...then, I shall be overjoyed. I'm still scared though. I'm too scared to be happy in case it jinxes things."

I stroked his cheek, soothing him. I understood what he was saying, and I felt the same too. I wanted all this to be ok more than i'd ever wanted anything in the world. I wanted this baby...our baby. I wanted the three of us us to be a family.

Juliette cooked us a meal in the evening and we relaxed in the living area, chatting until late. It felt very normal to be socialising with friends - as if they had merely invited us round for a dinner party. I got to know Ethan a bit better too. He was a good guy and I felt safe knowing that he was a doctor. He had been born on the island, but they'd sent him to the outside world to go to medical school, after which he'd returned. He'd known Richard since he was a young boy.

Eventually we retired to bed, and slept soundly until the next day when Richard took me back home. I was quite looking forward to doing that trip every couple of weeks, especially if things continued to be ok for me and the baby.


End file.
